Hydraulic and other elevators



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. N. REIPP. HYDRAULIG'AND OTHER ELEVATORS.

No. 278,739. Patented June 5,1883.

Fig. 3.

WITN ESSES:

\ (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- G. N. REIFF.

7 HYDRAULIC AND OTHER ELEVATORS.

No. 278,739. Patented June 5,1883.

INVENTOR Mm A MFW W b jig-02,4 JL /N.

WITNESSES:

NITED STATES GUSTAVUS N. REIFF, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC AND OTHER ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,739, dated June 5, 1883,

Application filed November 28, 1882. (N 0 model.) 4

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gesravus N. Rmrr, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the btate of Pennsylvania, have invented an Impro vement in Hydraulic and other Elevators, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates in general to the class of devices known as elevators or hoisting machines, and which are designed to transport passengers or merchandise between the different floors of buildings. It relates, specifically, and in the accompanying drawings is represented as applied, to a baggage hoist of the character employed in depots, warehouses, and other business establishments. In this last-named class of devices a flat platform, as opposed to an incloscd car or cage, is guided in vertical ways, and caused by either steam or hydraulic mechanism to travel through openings conformed to its sectional outline and occurring in vertical align ment in the several floors. It is a desideratum in hoistingmachines of this class that the openings in the several floors should, for the prc vention of injury to persons accidentally fall ing through them, be guarded at such time as they are not occupied by the platform, and it is also a desideratum that, at the time when the platform fills any one opening, egress for trucks and merchandise generally from said platform should be had in any direction upon the floor.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented a convenient means for accomplishing this desired result, and have represented a baggage-elevator conveniently embodying my invention, and, for simplicity of illustration, represented as plying between two floors only.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 depicts in side elevation an elevator guard embodying my invention, representing the platform as ascending and about to lift the guard. Fig.2 is a similar view of the same devices with the guard lifted above the opening in the upper floor and the platform supposed to be still ascending. Fig. 3 is a top plan view looking down upon the guard and the platform, and Fig. 4. a view in perspective of a modified construction of my apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring now to the first three figures of 'provement is represented as applied.

the accompanying drawings, A represents an upper floor of a warehouse to which my im- B is a lower fioor.

G are posts for guides or ways, in eonneetion with which the platform operates.

D is the platform, and E a portion of the hydraulic lifting mechanism through the op'- eration of which the platform is caused to ascend and descend.

F is a guard for the opening or well through the upper floor. This guard may be of any preferred description, but must be so shaped as to protect the opening. paratus represented the platform is square, the opening square, and the guard likewise square and made slightly larger than the opening, so as .to rest upon the edges of the floor contiguous thereto. The guard is represented as erected upon and supported by two standards, G, preferably placed upon opposite sides of the guard, and so vertically disposed as to be near to the sides of the opening. These standards extend downward into the pit or well beneath the building in which the lifting mechanism is located. Through the instrumentality of the standards the guard can be lifted or dropped.

H are followers laterally projected from and attached to the sides of the platform, and provided with openings through which the stand ards pass.

I are lifting-studs adjustably set upon the standards, which the keepers are designed to encounter.

Having now described a construction conveniently embodying my invention, its operation is as follows: Assume the guard to rest upon the upper floor, as represented in Fig. 1, so as to protect the opening in said floor, and further assume the platform to be traveling up ward in the direction of the arrow in said ure. Its followers run freely over the standards until such time as they encounter the lift ing-studs thereon. So soon as this encounter takes place the continued ascent of the plat form through the instrumentalitv of the followers and lifting-studs occasions the elevation of the guard above the opening, which said guard has up to such time protected, and the ascent of the guard continues until the plat form-has registered in line with the floor, at

In the form of apdescending platform; but so soon as it has reached the floor and rested thereupon the further descent of the platform is without effect upon it, the followers simply receding from the lifting-studs.

In Fig. i there is represented a modified construction of my apparatus, which in mechanical detail only differs from the apparatus of the first three figures, but in which the principle of construction and operation is precisely the same. In this construction the guard F consists of a horizontal tubular frame formed of tubing framed together by means of suitable unions, and erected upon two standards, G, which are placed at the center of two opposite sides.

The standards are perpendicular and pass through tubular sleeves J, connected with brackets K, supported from the floor at the centers of opposite sides of the opening. The guard is thus adapted to be raised or lowered by the standards, which in turn are supported and sustained by their bearings.

The standards preferably pass down immediately in front of the guides L, against which the platform travels, and by which it is guided, and their lower extremities, which are in the same horizontal plane, are in line to encounter clips M or kindred devices upon the platform. The clips may, however, be dispensed with, and the platform itself be adapted to encounter and lift the standards.

The operation of this construction is precisely the same as that of the other hereinbefore described, the platform in closing encountering and elevating the standards, and with them the guard, and in descending allowing the, guard to descend until it rests upon the upper bearings of the brackets in position to guard the opening.

It is obvious that this device is applicable to elevators not of the precise construction represented, but to those also in which a car or cage having one or more openings in its sides is employed.

The standards may be located at the corners of the guard instead of at the sides.

Other constructions of platform and lifting mechanism may, if desired, be resorted to, and other devices operating to the same result as the followers and lifting-studs or clips may also be substituted in their stead.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent-'- As an improvement in elevators, the combination of a platform suitably actuated to travel from floor to floor, followers connected with said plat-form, a guard surrounding and pro: tecting the opening in any given floor, vertical standards connected with said guard, and liftingstuds connected with said standards, the arrangement being such that upon the rise of the platform the followers encounter the lifting-studs and lift the standards and guard vertically above the opening, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 23d day of November, A. D. 1882.

GUSTAVUS N. REIFF.

In presence of FRANK A. MULLLKJN, J. BONSALI. TAYL Ri 

